National awards shortlisting for NDHT following pioneering workforce programme

Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (NDHT) has been shortlisted in the Student Nursing Times Awards 2019, the most prestigious awards in the country celebrating the brightest talent making their way into the nursing profession.

NDHT has been shortlisted for Nursing Associate Training Programme Provider of the Year. This is a brand new category, with the first trainee nursing associates in the country completing their training in January 2019.

NDHT’s first group of qualified Nursing Associates

The nursing associate role offers a new entry point into a fully registered nursing career, bridging the gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses. NDHT was one of the key organisations involved in delivering the nursing associate training programme in Devon, which was one of 11 first-wave pilot sites in England.

The trainee nursing associates complete a two-year training course before qualifying, which is a combination of work-based competencies, hands-on experience and at least one intensive study day a week.

NDHT was shortlisted for designing a comprehensive training programme, which included placements with other local organisations to help the trainees understand the full experience for patients, including with GPs, North Devon Hospice, ambulance crews and in mental health settings. NDHT also developed a peer support system and complemented the training provided by Plymouth University and Petroc College with training from specialist clinical staff at NDHT and exercises involving the simulation equipment at North Devon District Hospital.

Andrea Bell, deputy chief nurse at NDHT, said: “This shortlisting is testament to the hard work of all the staff at NDHT who are supporting our trainee nursing associates, and of course the trainee nursing associates themselves.

“It has been a record year for entries for the Student Nursing Times Awards and I’m proud to say that the great work we’ve been doing in northern Devon is standing out and gaining national recognition.”

NDHT nurse Carly Boyce has supported the first group of trainee nursing associates throughout their journey to become qualified nursing associates, and is supporting all the current trainees.

Carly said: “Our first group of trainees qualified in January and their two years of training have been challenging yet rewarding for them. I’ve seen them grow to become competent and valued members of the nursing family, and they are making such a difference to our patients.

“The staff at NDHT have worked really hard together with Petroc College to put together the best possible training programme to help our trainees get the most out of their learning experience, and I’m looking forward to developing this further to support our current and future trainee nursing associates.”

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in London on Friday 26 April 2019.